Sonic the Hedgehog: Mysteries of West Island
by Velvet Monkey Master
Summary: An accurate yet original novelization of several classic Sonic games, starting with the titanic Death Egg Saga!
1. Sonic and Tails

OoC: Hello, and welcome to my latest fanfic. This fanfic will be a game adaptation, which will cover the following video games in chronological order:  
  
Sonic 2  
  
Sonic 3 & Knuckles  
  
Sonic Adventure  
  
Sonic Adventure 2  
  
(Possibly the Sonic Advances)  
  
Sonic Heroes  
  
Sonic Battle  
  
I originally planned to do Sonic CD as well, but it wasn't working out so I sent it to the Scrap Brain, but I'll still cover portions of this and other major Sonic games (like Sonic 1, Chaotix and maybe the Sonic Advances) during flashbacks over the course of the series. I'll also add in small comedy segments when I have ideas. Not much more to say but enjoy the first part of the Mysteries of West Side Island - The Death Egg Saga!  
  
The Death Egg Saga - Episode One: "Sonic and Tails"  
  
From the journal of Miles "Tails" Prower, Entry 1:  
  
Hi, I'm Miles Prower, but my friends call me Tails. I'm a brown furred, eight year old fox with a hand for mechanics and heart for adventure. I also have two bushy tails instead of one - hence my nickname. My starts when Sonic the hedgehog came to West Side Island, also known as the Island of Illusion, for some r & r. Sonic was the fastest thing I ever saw. When he runs you can only see a blue blur because of his fur color. I remember the first time I saw him near the Mystic Ruins. I was amazed at his speed and tried to follow him, but he caught me and decided to let me hang out with him. Since then, we've become the best of friends. He taught me how to Spin Dash by curling into a ball, revving up, and then rolling off at high speed. He also taught me how to jump at enemies when curled up in the "Ball Mode". Then he advised me on how to spin my tails like a helicopter rotor to help me run faster and even temporarily fly! But I would have trained much harder had I known of the dangers that awaited us...  
  
End Log  
  
Tails strolled calmly through the Emerald Hill Zone, an area of content, which was home to plenty of exotic wildlife. It was a beautiful beachside property, filled with lush greenery, tall palm trees and calming waterfalls. Tails stopped a small, blue flicky bird and asked, "Hey Felix, have you seen Sonic?" The flicky replied by nodding its surprisingly large head and pointing towards the ocean with its feathered wing. "The Emerald Beach? Alright, I'll check it out!" Tails then ran towards the boundary separating the Emerald Hill Zone from the from the Emerald Beach and gasped at what he saw. It was a long, red biplane – almost six feet long. There was one seat on the plane in addition to two "wings" above the biplane. Sonic's name was written on the side. "Wow..." he whispered.  
  
"Her name's Tornado." a teenage voice responded. Tails looked up and saw Sonic looking down at him with his green eyes from atop the plane. "A radical chick, ain't she, Tails?  
  
"Yeah, it's real cool! How'd you get this plane, Sonic?"  
  
"It's a long story, I'll tell ya later."  
  
Their discussion was immediately interrupted by a maniacal laugh, which echoed throughout the island. Sonic immediately hopped onto the sand in surprise and groaned, "Oh no, don't tell me..."  
  
"Don't tell what, Sonic?"  
  
"Him!" Sonic shouted as he pointed to the portly man in the hovercraft. His chest was egg-shaped, with a dome-like head; a trademark orange, bushy mustache; and a pair of small, blue glasses which concealed his eyes. "The Eggman!"  
  
"So Hedgehog, looks like fate has brought us to the same place once again! Well I have no time to talk, I have Chaos Emeralds to collect, a robot army to create... and a world to destroy!" With that he laughed some more as he flew off into the horizon.  
  
Tails asked, "Who is that guy, Sonic?"  
  
"He's Dr. Ivo Robotnik, but everyone calls him Eggman. He's a mad scientist who seeks world domination by creating robots powered by... animals.... We gotta rush, Tails!" Sonic took a split-second to charge his feet – which wore pointy red sneakers, each with a white horizontal strap running along them and a buckle at the end – and he disappeared in a flash.  
  
"Hey Sonic, wait for me!" Tails shouted as he dashed after his idol, tripped over a rock, and then dashed off again.  
  
Tails skidded to a halt when a flying coconut just barely missed his head. Tails looked to his right and saw a mechanical monkey covered in red and gray armor hanging from a palm tree with its hands filled with coconuts. "Is that one of Eggman's robots...?" Tails wondered.  
  
Before Tails could say another word, Sonic appeared from nowhere in Ball Mode. He slammed right into the tree, and the robot monkey fell to the ground. Sonic then revved up his Spin Dash again and cut right through the armored ape. It fell to the ground in two halves, and a blue flicky bird was freed and flew from the wreckage. "Felix!" Tails shouted in joy as he patted his friend's head.  
  
"It'll take more then an ai-ai to do me in, Eggbutt!" Sonic bragged in reference to the ai-ai monkey bot he had just trashed. "Let's move on, Tails! We have the entire Emerald Hill Zone to free!"  
  
"But Sonic, our friends are inside the robots! What if we accidentally hurt them?"  
  
"Don't worry, Tails!" Sonic assured his sidekick, "The animals are protected by a shield, which prevents them from escaping. Breaking the robot deactivates the shield and frees the animal trapped within! Look, here comes a Stinger now! Try it out, it's simple!"  
  
A long flying bot that resembled a wasp flew overhead. It was blue with black stripes. The robot aimed its cannon, which was attached to its tail at Tails. Tails, however, leapt above the Stinger in Ball Mode and then slammed down on its back. The Stinger exploded and freed a squirrel-like creature known as a Ricky. Tails then spun his tails to hover above the ground and catch the Ricky as it fell. Tails rested the Ricky on the ground, and the animal squeaked in gratitude as Sonic and Tails ran off. "That was fun, Sonic!"  
  
"It only gets better! You go take out Eggman's bots while I head for the big man himself!"  
  
"Alright, Sonic!" Tails shouted as he split off from Sonic to fight off mechanical fish known as Gabuccho.  
  
Meanwhile, Sonic dashed through the forest of tall palm trees, every now and then stopping to take out any bots – or "badniks" - which Sonic considered to be too tough for a beginner like Tails to handle.  
  
Finally Sonic heard the words he had waited to hear. "Hedgehog! I'm glad to see you've made it past my badniks in one piece!" It was Eggman, all right. Right now his Egg-o-Matic hovercraft was planted in his latest device of destruction – a wheeled tank with a deadly drill emerging from the front end. "Otherwise, I would not be able to chop you down myself!"  
  
"We'll see about that, Chrome Dome!" Sonic cried as he rushed into battle. "Remember my Homing Attack?" Sonic shouted as he leapt into the air in Ball Mode, then shot forward in his Homing Attack and slammed into the Eggman's cockpit. However, the attack had no visible effect, and Sonic was forced to use another Homing Attack in midair to fly safely to the ground.  
  
"No, I have not forgotten, Sonic – which is why I enforced my cockpit with tempered glass!"  
  
***  
  
Elsewhere in the Emerald Hill Zone, Tails was preoccupied with a large, egg- shaped capsule. Through the small window, he could see that it was filled to the brim with Flickys and Rickys who were being held there until they were ready to be turned into robots. "Now how do I open this? The only button is this red one on the side, but it's too exposed, so I doubt it frees the animals..." Tails opened up a panel on the capsule and sorted through various circuits and wires. "Hmm... which ones hold the capsule shut? Aha! Here are the wires, they run from the lid to... the red button." Tails slammed the red button and the lid of the capsule burst open. The Flickys and Rickys of the Emerald Hill Zone leapt from the destroyed capsule and disappeared into the hills as they thanked their savior.  
  
***  
  
As Eggman operated the tank, the image of a Stinger robot appeared on his control pad monitor. "This better be important, Bot 949!"  
  
The Stinger buzzed, "Sir! The underground squad has discovered the Green Chaos Emerald! We request your presence for confirmation!"  
  
"Excellent job! I will be down their immediately." Eggman then looked up to face Sonic and said, "We'll finish this some other time!" as his drill tank tunneled into the earth.  
  
"You can't get away that easily, Eggman!" Sonic shouted as he ran into the tunnel after Eggman.  
  
"Sonic?" Tails wondered as he hovered into the hole.  
  
"Not now, Tails!"  
  
"But I found this weird ring and I don-"  
  
"Ring?" Sonic asked in surprise as he doubled back to Tails, who held a long, elliptical golden ring in his right hand. Sonic pointed to the ring and shouted, "That's a Power Ring! I'll show you firsthand what it does!" as Tails handed the ring to him. Sonic held the ring as he rolled into Ball Mode, rolling at unbelievable speeds, and then shot off into the tunnel. He flew right through Eggman's drill tank like a knife through butter and cut through several yards of dirt before zooming through Eggman's badniks and snatching the Green Chaos Emerald. Its appearance was that of a green triangular pyramid.  
  
"Wow," Tails gasped as he gaped into the long tunnel. "That was amazing..." He then ducked as Eggman flew out in his Egg-o-Matic hovercraft, drill accessories no longer included, and into the sunset, muttering swears underneath his breath.  
  
Sonic emerged from the whole with the Chaos Emerald in hand. "I used up the ring, but I found this strange jewel..."  
  
"Sonic, that's a Chaos Emerald!" Tails shouted in surprise. "Those things come straight out of my childhood legends! They say that there are seven Chaos Emeralds in all. Alone, they are each brimming with power. But it's only when the entire set of seven is combined that the jewels show their true power. It's said that an ancient civilization that once inhabited this island attempted to test the Emeralds and theorize the true power of the stones. The legend goes on to say that the philosophers became corrupted by the power of the Emeralds and used them for evil, but their efforts were useless, and the 'gods' hid the Emeralds in various areas of South Island."  
  
"So if Eggman's collecting these Emeralds, he must want some of that limitless power for something way uncool! But what?"  
  
"I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough, Sonic..."  
  
To Be Continued in Chapter Two: "The E-Man"  
  
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? EDITION 1: AI-AI  
  
After his first appearance in the Emerald Hill Zone, Ai-ai the monkey robot, like so many of Eggman's early robots, fell from the ranks as his line was discontinued. Ai-ai then fell into heavy drug abuse, which led him to take a roll on the cartoon series, "The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" under his druggie name, "Coconuts". However, even on the show he was ignored and pushed into the background until he committed suicide after the series closed in 1995, at the age of 40. 


	2. The Energy Man

Episode Two: The E-Man  
  
From the journal of Miles "Tails" Prower's Journal, Entry 2:  
  
It's me, Tails again. Sonic and I just finished cleaning up Eggman's bots in the Emerald Hill Zone and freeing our friends. We're now on our way to the Chemical Plant Zone, a large plant which converted deadly chemicals into Pure Energy, which is used as the power source for the Great Metropolis Zone, which is just west of the Chemical Plant, separated it from a river of excess chemicals known as the Toxic River. However, the Great Metropolis Zone's transition to an industrial city and reports of evil going down in the Chemical Plant Zone forced the authorities to shut it down not too long ago. Rumors say that Chaos Emeralds were involved, so Sonic and I are on our way to check it out!  
  
End log.  
  
"Hurry up, Tails! Robotnik ain't gonna get creamed by himself, although I wouldn't be too surprised!" Sonic boasted as he dashed through the green fields of the Emerald Hill Zone. Tails was, once again, running at full speed and even propelling himself by spinning his twin tails at full speed in a vain attempt to catch up with Sonic. Tails was doing better the usual this time, as he was only a few yards behind Sonic.  
  
Tails took a second to ponder, "Robotnik... I swear I've read about that name somewhere, but I just can't remember..." Sonic ignored Miles's dialogue and took advantage of his partner's confusion by putting on an extra burst of speed, leaving the two-tailed fox in his dust.  
  
But Sonic was forced to a screeching halt as he reached the Emerald Hill Zone's border. Lying ahead of them was the Chemical Plant Zone, property of the Great Metropolis Zone. It was almost shaped like a missile with its head facing upwards. The outside of the nuclear plant was a maze of blue pipes which circled the plant, in addition to several maintenance platforms where the workers made sure that everything was going according to plan. Only the top half of the plant was visible from Sonic's position, as the rest was hidden within the deep moat which was once filled with harmful chemicals, but most of the ooze had drained into the Toxic River with the exception of about enough liquids to fill a swimming pool.  
  
Sonic waited a few seconds for Tails to catch up, then he motioned for the fox to be cautious in the zone as they raced towards the factory.  
  
***  
  
Dr. Eggman rested in a comfortable leather chair – one with the wheels that spin around – as he watched the surveillance cameras from the heart of the Chemical Plant Zone. Eggman's full body was visible from the chair – from his round belly to his red, yet tight shirt and his black, form-fitting pants.  
  
Seated near him was a tall robot bodyguard. The robot was covered in dull gray metal, but had a collar of spikes around its wrists and ankles. "So Mettron," Eggman spoke to his mechanical lackey, "What are the readings on the Yellow Chaos Emerald?"  
  
Mettron spoke in a surprisingly human voice, "According to our Jewel Reader, it's located somewhere in the Experimentation Area."  
  
"Excellent," Eggman giggled with glee, "You stay here and watch the monitors while I retrieve the Emerald!"  
  
Eggman lifted his fat self from the crushed, warm, and now odorous chair, and was almost at the exit when Mettron alarmed, "Sir, I think you should see this," as he pointed towards one of the screens. Sonic and Tails were featured on the screen, running towards the entrance of the factory.  
  
Eggman grimaced at the sight of his blue rival, knowing that he'd do something to mess things up, and spared only the words, "Dip them," as he turned and strolled from the office. Mettron immediately pressed a red button.  
  
***  
  
Sonic and Tails were crossing the bridge leading over the chemical moat and into the actual Chemical Plant. "Tails, how're the Chaos Emerald and Power Rings doing?"  
  
Tails reached into his red-and-white backpack and took a quick peek inside. He then reported, "The five Power Rings we collected in the Emerald Hill Zone are fine, and the Green Chaos Emerald's still in one piece, but it looks like it's glowing... the legend said that the Emeralds would glow when a brother is hidden nearby, so we must be close to the next Emerald!"  
  
Before Sonic could reply with something witty, a loud rumbling echoed throughout the area as the steel bridge crumbled beneath their feet. Tails managed to catch himself with his flying ability, but flew down into the pit in search of Sonic. Sonic managed to grab onto one of the glowing blue pipes before he saw that the pit was quickly filling up with green chemicals. Sonic dashed up the pipes at full speed. Back at the top of the pit, a large metal hatch was sealing off the duo's only possible exit. Luckily, Sonic leapt into the air in Ball Mode and spun out of the pit as the hatch closed beneath him. Tails had already given up trying to catch up with Sonic and returned to the surface several moments before.  
  
"That was close!" Sonic gasped, but then regained his posture as he continued, "But not close enough to do in Sonic the Hedgehog!"  
  
Tails interrupted, "I think we should get inside before some other nastiness happens."  
  
"Good idea, little bro! Let's zoom on into that plant and out with the jewel before Eggbutt and his badbreathniks can do anything about it!"  
  
***  
  
Eggman hovered through the dimly-lit corridors of the plant in his Egg-o- Matic hovercraft, still searching for the enigmatic Chaos Emerald. Eggman was then faced with an obstacle: a sealed door with a panel of buttons attached to the wall on the side. Eggman easily hacked his way to the password, and the door opened before him. Eggman beheld a tall glass capsule which was filled to the brim with a reddish substance. The Eggman chuckled, "Excellent, the Chaos Emerald must lie within the stasis chamber. Perhaps the Professor Horatio believed that the Energy would preserve it? No matter, it will be a simple task to free it."  
  
Eggman then pressed several buttons on the control panel beneath the capsule and pulled a yellow switch. The tube containing the Energy disappeared. But instead of simply flowing away like any other liquid, the Energy banded together into a giant gorilla-like figure. It growled in anger as it spotted Eggman and rushed towards the demented doctor, who turned tail and flew from the room before giving the creature a second glance.  
  
***  
  
Sonic and Tails dashed through the corridors, only stopping to destroy the occasional fire-spewing Randaa and self-destructing Grabber robots. But both of them screeched to a halt when they saw Eggman flying past them in his Egg-o-Matic, apparently in a deep panic. Sonic wondered, "What was that all about? Aha! Maybe he beat us to the Emerald and is trying to make a getaway before I beat the sorry egg!"  
  
Sonic was about to rush off when Tails pulled out the Green Chaos Emerald and reported, "Wait Sonic, stop! The Chaos Emerald is still glowing very brightly! Eggman can't have the Emerald. In fact... according to this, it's even getting closer! What the...?" Tails looked up and found himself facing a giant, gorilla-like creature, composed entirely of Red Energy. The Chaos Emerald was now blinking like crazy. The creature then slammed its fist on the floor, aiming for Tails. Luckily Sonic rushed by, grabbing his buddy as he ran down the hall. "That thing- I think it has a Chaos Emerald!"  
  
"No problemo, Tails! I'll be done with this color-inverted King Kong in a flash!" Sonic bragged as he went into Ball Mode and delivered a Homing Attack to the creature's chest – one which failed as Sonic bounced off without doing any damage whatsoever. "What is this thing?" Sonic asked in awe. But he didn't receive his answer as the creature socked him one and sent him sliding across the cold metal. "Let's take five," Sonic suggested as he grabbed Tails and made like a tree, leaving the fight scene.  
  
Sonic and Tails continued down the corridor until they entered an abandoned laboratory. Tails was amazed by the technology on display and immediately examined the machinery until Sonic reminded him of the approaching monster. "Wait, maybe there's something here that can help us – like these research papers!" Tails exclaimed as he shuffled through some papers. "Hmmm... I think I found a paper on that weird creature! Apparently it's the first Energy Man, codenamed E-Man. Professor Horatio Rotus created it to be a super soldier based on the work of the late Professor Gerald. He had two Chaos Emeralds which he was going to use to power creatures, but he was only able to complete one before the G.U.N. police confiscated the last Emerald because they believed the experiment to be too dangerous, and they shut down the Chemical Plant Zone."  
  
Sonic theorized, "So this thing is powered by the Chaos Emerald... then I have an idea! But I'll need all five of those Power Rings!"  
  
Tails removed the Rings from his backpack and handed them to Sonic. "Alright..." he spoke uneasily.  
  
Just at that moment, the E-Man burst through the lab entrance and immediately tossed the machinery around in a rage. Sonic smirked, "This time, it's gonna be a flash!" as he dashed across the lab with the full power of the Rings. He flew right through the E-Man's chest and came out with the Chaos Emerald in hand. The E-Man, without its power source, dissolved into a puddle of lifeless red ooze. "I exhausted all the Power Rings' energy, but now we're already one step closer to foiling Eggman's plot!"  
  
To Be Continued in Chapter Three: "The Ancient Ruins"  
  
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Edition 2: Grabber  
  
Now I have nothing on this guy. 


	3. The Ancient Ones

Chapter Three: "The Ancient Ones"  
  
From the journal of Miles "Tails" Prower, Entry 3:  
  
Sonic and I just finished cleaning up the mess at the Chemical Plant Zone. We now have two Chaos Emeralds and there's been no sign of Dr. Eggman since we saw him fleeing from the Energy Man. We're now entering the Aquatic Ruins Zone, a sunken temple which is just southeast of the Mystic Ruins. I'm a big fan of history and science, so I can't wait to see this ancient area! Let's just hope that Eggman isn't lurking nearby.  
  
End log.  
  
Tails continued running across the green plains of the natural reserve, surrounded by ancient pillars and deteriorated walls. But he had no time to stop and admire the environment, as he was currently preoccupied with his usual task of catching up with Sonic. Tails spotted Sonic standing still and took it as a sign that he should follow suit. It was then that Tails noted no danger in sight. Sonic was simply standing along the edge of a deep lake which stretched as far as the eye could see. "What's up, Sonic?" Tails asked.  
  
Sonic casually asked, "Hey Tails, you up for some flying practice? Just carry me from structure to structure until we reach the other side of the lake without me touching the water! Whadda you think of that?"  
  
"Sure, Sonic! It sounds like fun!"  
  
"Good!" Sonic winked. Tails then began spinning his namesake additional appendages, using them to propel himself through the air while he grabbed Sonic's hands and carried him over the water. Sonic stuttered, "Remember, Tails! Concentrate; don't even look at me while you're flying!"  
  
"I'll try my best, Sonic!"  
  
***Somewhere in the Aquatic Ruin Zone  
  
"You chose a bad time to fall to pieces on me, Mettron you idiot!" Eggman muttered as he repaired his damaged mechanical lackey. "You just had to wander about the Chemical Plant Zone instead of waiting for me to return! And in the meantime, I could have been tracking down those furries and Chaos Emeralds!" Eggman adjusted one last bolt before he snapped Mettron's back panel shut. "Now this should work!"  
  
"Mettron online and awaiting orders!" the robot spoke in a raspy voice. His face also looked noticeably different now. Formerly plain and more robot- like, Mettron's face now appeared to show emotion - anger in specific.  
  
"Stand by until further notice!" Eggman commanded as he turned around and returned to examining the Egg-o-Matic hovercraft's insides. Meanwhile Mettron managed to activate his finger laser and aimed it right at Eggman's head. But before Mettron could carry out his planned assassination, Eggman, who had no clue that Mettron was doing anything other then standing around, pulled a Power Ring out from the machine, the machine's evil innards having ruined the gold tarnish. "This Ring's out of fuel, I guess I'll have to use a spare," the Eggman muttered as he tossed the Ring over his shoulder. It bounced off Mettron's head, causing his face to change - he was now the loyal robot subject that he was before the mysterious Chemical Plant Zone incident. Mettron deactivated the laser in confusion and returned to his about-face.  
  
"Mettron online and awaiting orders!" Mettron introduced in his normal, buzzier-sounding voice.  
  
"Yes, I know that!" Eggman grunted in irritation. "Due to your failure to help me defeat Sonic in the Chemical Plant Zone..." Eggman set up a small table, which floated above the ground. "I am relocating you to the Oil Ocean Zone. You will deliver these supplies," he signaled to a large pile of crates set up near the table, "to Octa King with the Hoverboard and remain on the barge until further notice."  
  
"Your will is my will," Mettron stated as he silently went to work loading the crates onto the Hoverboard.  
  
Eggman warned, "And don't mess up! I'll be tracking down the hedgehog in the meantime!"  
  
***  
  
Sonic appeared to be more frightened then any video game before has portrayed him. He was hanging from Tails's hands and had lifted his legs as high above the water as possible. And all the while Tails had a nary a clue in regards to his friend's plight, since he was too busy concentrating on safely delivering his cargo to the other end of the Aquatic Ruin Zone like Sonic instructed him. They were currently approaching the next small island, a grassy lump emerging from the water with one partially demolished totem set atop it. "Alright Tails, now get land carefully... carefully... good!"  
  
Tails wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked his friend, "Man, these flying exercises are tiring me out. Can we do swimming exercises next so I can cool off?"  
  
Sonic gulped, "Uhhh... but we're almost halfway across! C'mon Tails, feel the burn!"  
  
"A-alright..." Tails muttered as he resumed carrying Sonic. It was then that they spotted it. It being a flying mechanical... fly with big red eyes. It was covered in yellow and blue armor and was the size of Sonic's foot. A small threat, but a threat nonetheless. "An Eggman robot!" Tails shouted in surprise. "Get 'im, Sonic!"  
  
With no other means of defense, Tails flung Sonic into the air. Sonic nearly panicked before he remembered the flying Pun-pun robot, which was now darting towards Tails at a high speed, but Sonic rolled into Ball Mode. The fly crashed into the ball and exploded, freeing another Flicky, but Tails was unable to catch Sonic before he fell into the drink. Tails cheered, "Good job, Sonic! Now get out here so we can finish this place!" Receiving no response, Tails peered into the lake. "Sonic?" he asked in uncertainty. He still received no answer.  
  
Finally Tails dove into the water, using his twin tails to help propel himself through the water until he saw Sonic. Sonic was struggling, flapping his arms in a vain attempt to swim as he was slowly sinking to the murky bottom of the underwater ruins. And it got worst very quickly as a deadly pair of hungry Piranha robots somehow smelt the hedgehog's distress and swam by for a free meal. But Tails burst in before the fish had any time to say grace. He grabbed one of them with each of his tails, then he squeezed as hard as he could until both piranhas shattered and freed Peckys, small penguin-like creatures with messy yellow hair. Tails then grabbed the suffocating Sonic and struggled as hard as he could to carry Sonic to the surface, which was difficult considering that Sonic outweighed Tails by about thirty pounds. But Tails spun his twin tails as fast as possible, and Sonic even kicked his legs every now and then in an effort to help propel himself and Tails while he was not too preoccupied fighting to stay awake. They were almost near the surface when Tails realized that he was still wearing his backpack containing the Chaos Emeralds and spare Power Rings, and that the bag was still open! He turned his head around quickly to check and noticed that one of the two Emeralds was missing and falling towards the lake's bottom. Tails was able to grab it, but not before he noticed that it was glowing even clearer as it fell. Tails resumed spinning his tails at top speed, and if they made it, it would be just barely and in some cliché way.  
  
Finally they shattered the barrier of water, bathing in their first breaths since their cancelled trip to the locker of one Mr. Jones. Tails then resumed flying with Sonic as passenger until they arrived safely at the next landmass, the largest of the small islands they've encountered so far. "Thanks for the assist, Tails," Sonic acknowledged as the duo gave each other a high-five.  
  
Tails pulled out the Chaos Emerald and examined it. "Hmmm... it's not glowing as much now as it did underwater... maybe the third Emerald is hidden underwater! Let's check it out!"  
  
"No way, Tails!" Sonic replied. "You saw me down there. I don't swim, I sink! Me and water don't mix."  
  
"But Sonic!" Tails replied. "If we don't get it, we might lose our edge against Eggman!"  
  
"I'd rather blast through all of Eggbuttnik's lame inventions then go underwater in search of some ancient jewel!"  
  
"Fine, then I'll go by myself!" Tails dared as he dove back into the lake without waiting for Sonic's comeback.  
  
Sonic hesitated and finally mumbled, "That kid's so grounded," as he slowly waded into the water and sunk. This time he didn't struggle and reached the bottom fairly quickly. It was then hat he noticed the landmass he was standing on concealed a secret beneath the surface: a large temple of some sort, which was decorated with ancient carvings which were now undecipherable due to old age combined with the hundreds of years of water. Sonic also made another important discovery: he could walk on the lake floor! And his super speed allowed him to walk underwater at the same rate as an average person walking on solid ground! The water also helped to heighten his jumps.  
  
Tired of testing out underwater skills (and water altogether), Sonic wandered into the temple and found that a pair of Handrills had backed Tails up against a corner. The Handrills were red and cucumber shaped, with drills for hands and a nose and treaded wheels for feet. Sonic leapt into the air and rocketed between the two Handrills. The Handrill closer to tails turned around to face Sonic. Sonic then leapt behind the second Handrill, shoving him from behind. The Handrill slid across the floor and towards the first Handrill so the second Handrill accidentally impaled the first Handrill's chest with its left drill at the same time that the first Handrill impaled the second's chest with its left drill. Both badniks flashed and exploded, freeing two Peckys.  
  
Sonic then grabbed Tails and mouthed, "Now we're even," as they entered a tunnel which led them deeper into the ancient temple. Sonic smiled in joy when he realized that the tunnel was sloping up, meaning that the water was coming to the end. The furry pair finally emerged from the water and gasped for air once again.  
  
They immediately set about investigating the room after regaining their senses. It was a dank and dark room, with a shrine at one end. The shrine was a statue of an odd-looking creature with dreadlocks of some sort who was holding the Dark Blue Chaos Emerald in his large, outstretched hands.  
  
"Wassup wit dis funky dude?" Sonic wondered. "Maybe a member of some ancient civilization? Nah, too ugly. Let's just get that Emerald so we can put this underwater adventure behind us! (If I'm lucky I won't be seeing any more irritating underwater-themed zones ever again.)  
  
Suddenly, Sonic and Tails flew to the side of the room as if a giant mallet, which weighed several tons, hit them, which it did. Eggman was back in his Egg-o-Matic hovercraft, now complete with the aforementioned giant mallet hanging from the bottom. "Haha, stupid furries! I'm sorry for not taking you down in the Chemical Plant Zone, but I had some business to attend to... uh... which had nothing to do with the giant monster that was chasing me! Now to make up for depriving you sixteen-bit rodents of a classic clash with me, I'll take this Chaos Emerald, finish you both off in no particular order, and then steal your Emeralds! Hahahahaha!" Eggman then walked up to the stone idol and snatched the Chaos Emerald right out of its hands. Eggman looked into it's shiny, dark blue surface. "It's... it's beautiful! What a wonderful jewel! I can just imagine all seven of them powering the Death Egg's cannon! No more furries to bother me!"  
  
But it seems he was so absorbed by his own greed and self-confidence that Eggman didn't notice that the stone figure of the Ancient One was moving. And with one punch from its giant stone hand, Eggman's craft was sent spinning through the ceiling and into the sunset. The Dark Blue Chaos Emerald landed right I the statue's hands as Eggman's voice was heard yelling, "YOU STUPID ECHIDNA!"  
  
Sonic and Tails were inexplicably observing this scene in silence. Tails pointed up to the newy-formed hole in the roof and exclaimed, "Sonic, there's a way out!"  
  
Sonic siad, "You go ahead, tails. I'll take get the Emerald from ol' Stoneface over here and be right with ya!" Tails obliged and left, leaving Sonic only with the stone statue. Sonic pointed at it and asked, "Awright Dreadlocks, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, your choice!" The statue placed the Chaos Emerald on the ground before Sonic, sat down in its previous position and became lifeless. "That's a first, they never pick the easy way!" With that, Sonic collected the Emerald and met with Tails on the topside.  
  
"Hey Tails, up for another training session?"  
  
"Oh, you're gonna give me more flying tips? Hang on, Gimme a minute to catch my breath."  
  
"No Tails, I think you should be the teacher this time. Up for some swimming lessons, Sensei Tails?"  
  
"You bet, Pupil Sonic!"  
  
To Be Continued in Chapter Four: "Casino Nights"  
  
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Edition #3: Handrill  
  
After a successful role in the Aquatic Ruin Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Handrill underwent a makeover, changing his name to Grounder and dying his metal green, among other changes. He and mechanical rooster Cluck became a famous duo as they performed magic tricks in Las Vegas. But their partnership has been splintered recently, when Scratch was violently attacked by a Rhinobot who served as an extra in their tricks, who but Scratch's neck and nearly killed him. Details about whether or not Scratch and Grounder will reunite or even if they're gay remain sketchy. 


End file.
